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Comprehensive Consumer Confidence Report for San Diego, California — served by the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department
All tested contaminants well below EPA limits
View detailed city report →What to know about San Diego's tap water
San Diego's imported Colorado River water is naturally hard — high in dissolved calcium and magnesium. This is an aesthetic issue (scale on fixtures, spotting), not a health risk.
Only about 4% of the EPA limit. Disinfection byproducts from chlorination stay very low.
About 18% of the action level. Not present in the source water — any lead comes from older household plumbing, and the city treats water to control corrosion.
San Diego's A+ grade reflects consistently low contaminant levels (fluoride, arsenic, copper and nitrite all well under EPA limits) plus a strong 99/100 EPA compliance history with no violations in the past three years.
San Diego imports most of its water through the San Diego County Water Authority. Imported supplies are treated to a high standard before distribution, and the Colorado River portion is what gives local tap water its characteristic hardness.
To reduce reliance on imports, the city is investing heavily in local supplies — seawater desalination at Carlsbad and the Pure Water San Diego recycling program — to build a more drought-resilient supply.
The city's Alvarado, Miramar and Otay treatment plants use conventional treatment — coagulation, sedimentation and filtration — to remove particles and turbidity.
San Diego's plants use ozone as a primary disinfectant, which improves taste and odor and helps keep chlorination byproducts low.
Chloramine is added to keep water safe throughout the distribution system, from the treatment plant to your tap.
Treatment is tuned to reduce corrosivity, limiting lead and copper leaching from older home plumbing, and the supply is fluoridated for dental health.
No Recent Violations
The City of San Diego has maintained compliance with federal and state drinking water standards, with no recorded violations in the past three years — a key reason San Diego grades A+.
View the complete Consumer Confidence Report on the City of San Diego website:
sandiego.gov/public-utilities/water-quality →Call Public Utilities Customer Care at (619) 515-3500 to request a printed copy of the annual water quality report.
Water System: City of San Diego Public Utilities Department
Public Water System ID: CA747624
Population served: ~1.4 million
Yes. San Diego tap water earns an A+ (96/100) with a strong compliance record and no violations in the past three years. The City of San Diego Public Utilities Department treats and tests the supply to meet all EPA drinking water standards. Some residents still filter for the hard-water mineral taste, especially in older homes with aging plumbing.
San Diego imports most of its water through the San Diego County Water Authority from the Metropolitan Water District — a mix of Colorado River water (via the Colorado River Aqueduct) and Northern California water from the State Water Project. Local supplies add reservoir water, seawater from the Carlsbad Desalination Plant, and expanding recycled water from Pure Water San Diego.
Much of San Diego's supply is imported Colorado River water, which is naturally high in dissolved calcium and magnesium. That makes local tap water noticeably hard — you may see scale on fixtures and spotting on glassware. Hardness affects taste and appearance, not safety.
It's optional — the water is already safe and high-scoring. Most San Diego residents who filter do so for the hard-water mineral taste, chlorine/chloramine flavor, or a bit of extra lead protection in older homes. A certified pitcher handles taste, chlorine, and lead with no installation; a good renter-friendly option is the Clearly Filtered pitcher, which is independently lab-tested to reduce lead, chlorine, and disinfection byproducts. Note a pitcher won't soften hard water — for scale you'd need a water softener.
The City of San Diego Public Utilities Department publishes its annual Consumer Confidence Report online at sandiego.gov. Reports are also available by calling Public Utilities Customer Care at (619) 515-3500.